No one really wants to fill in a form; they want what is on the other side: to buy a book, to register to vote, to join a club. They aren’t slogging through a Web form to practice their data entry skills. They have clear goals. Sadly, many Web forms do a poor job of aligning with people’s actual objectives.

E ancora:

Instead of thinking in terms of required information and user accounts in a database, think about the information that will allow people to accomplish their goals with minimal overhead and a clear sense of purpose—so they don’t question, “Why am I being asked this?”

Is this information necessary to give people what they want (the core purpose of the application)? If not, chances are people will question why they are being asked.

Will there be a better time to collect this information? Asking people for information once they are already using an application is often more successful than asking them before they start using the application.

Is there a way to explain why certain information is required? Clarifying how the information being collected aligns with people’s goals helps reassure them that they are making forward progress.

Are there better ways of collecting the information needed? After all, Web forms are not the only way to get input from people online.